Unlikely
by Vandegrift
Summary: Ceridwen Wynand is the new Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts and almost instantly clashes with everyone's favorite moody Potions Master. Will they end up together? Unlikely.  Takes place during books 5 through 7
1. Silly Little Girl

**A/N: Hello all! This story has just been stewing in my mind for so long I can't even believe I'm finally writing it! I've just spent so long planning it out and constructing an outline, I'm so excited to finally get started!**

**This story will span books 5 through 7 following the relationship between my OC, Ceridwen Wynand and Severus Snape. Well I hope you enjoy my brain-baby, and please review and let me know your thoughts. (Rated M for violence and allusions to sex, but no graphic lemons!)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, excluding my original character. All the other magnificent characters belong to the phenomenal Jo Rowling.**

In a small, cheerful cottage in Wales, a young woman, Ceridwen (or Carrie as she preferred to be called) sat on a slightly threadbare couch, sipping tea and reading a novel.

At 26 years old, she was just now getting used to the idea of living all alone. After graduating from Salem Witches Institute in America at the age of seventeen, she had opted into attending a muggle university; a decision she considered her best to date. As a young student at the Institute, Muggle Studies had always been her favorite subject and she relished the opportunity to study them so intimately.

Ever since she was eleven years old, Carrie's life had been a whirl-wind of socializing, study, and quidditch. Now, with all that behind her, she felt an unsettling stillness everywhere she went. And it was in silent moments like these, now that all of that was done, when Carrie wondered if her life had peaked.

She let her novel down, resting it on her knee, letting out a long sigh, pushing her mass of chaotic cocoa-colored curls from her face and taking a sip of tea from her chipped mug. The painful silence was broken by a sharp rapping at the door.

Putting her book aside, Carrie stood up from her comfortable position and made her way to the front door. The last person she would expect to see on the other side of her door was Albus Dumbledore, but there he was, in all of his fully bearded glory.

"Ceridwen! Lovely to see you," he said cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. Carrie returned the smile in earnest.

She had met Albus on one of her trips to the Ministry of Magic to renew her research permit. He had kindly offered to proofread her book: "Mingling with Muggles: The Everyday Lives of Muggles and What We Can Learn from Them", and the two had become very close during the process.

"Headmaster!" she greeted enthusiastically, inviting him into her home without hesitation, and offering him a cup of tea which he politely accepted.

"I hear your book has become quite the point of controversy," Dumbledore said conversationally, stirring some honey into his tea.

Carrie smiled a small, impish smile. Albus was as well informed as ever. Her little book had caused quite a stir amongst the pureblood-mania community. "Oh yes… my publisher is ecstatic. No such thing as bad publicity, after all," Albus just nodded jovially.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that your book has inspired my Muggle Studies teacher to do as you have done, and live amongst muggles, completely without magic for a year," Carrie's smile grew wider. "That's a lovely thing to hear, Albus," she agreed.

"Yes… But unfortunately, it leaves me quite without a Muggle Studies professor. I was hoping you would be interested in taking over for her in her absence," Carrie was shocked by the offer, to say the least. She was so young after all, with no teaching experience what-so-ever. "I'm flattered Albus… but I'm not sure if I'm qualified…"

"Nonsense," he insisted. "I've thought long and hard about this and I can't think of any one person more qualified than you are. You're incredibly intelligent, vastly knowledgeable in the subject, and your age, if anything, is quite an advantage to you. Students will be able to relate to your youthfulness and undoubtedly will adore you like all others who meet you,"

Carrie smiled softly and rolled her eyes. He was hyperbolizing of course, hoping to charm her into accepting his job offer. She was ashamed to admit that it was working.

"Well I suppose I have no choice but to accept. After all, it's all my fault that you are in this predicament to begin with," she said lightly, taking a sip from her mug.

"That it is! I'm so glad… Well then, you should arrive at Hogwarts two weeks prior to the start of term. That should be sufficient time to familiarize yourself with the school grounds and get yourself situated before classes start,"

It wasn't until after Albus had left that Carrie fully understood what she had just committed herself to. In a few short months she would need to compile a list of required reading materials, buy suitable teaching robes, organize lesson plans, outline a curriculum, write up tests, and collect teaching materials.

As she created this mental check-list in her mind, a huge grin stretched over Carrie's face. She had something to occupy her time again.

She wasted no time in completely throwing herself into the project, doing her research on the best teaching techniques, and compiling lesson plans and a curriculum. The following weeks were filled with all-nighters and many cups of coffee but Carrie hardly minded. Quite the contrary, this was the kind of thing she lived for.

All too soon, or so it seemed, August 18th had arrived. Carrie had packed up her textbooks, robes, wand, etc. and was waiting for Dumbledore to escort her onto school grounds.

She had recently discovered from one of the many books she had read in order to familiarize herself with Hogwarts, that no one (aside from Headmaster Dumbledore, apparently) could apparate onto and from school grounds. When Carrie had written to Dumbledore, expressing her concern for this minor setback, he had obligingly agreed to escort her via side-by-side apparition.

Albus would arrive any moment and Carrie was still fretting over her renegade ringlets; attempting to force a few strays into the ponytail she had attempted to construct five minutes ago.

Her appearance had by far been her number one concern since she had woken up this morning. Now, more than ever in her life, Carrie was painfully aware of how _young_ she was. How could she expect her colleagues to take her seriously if she looked more like a student than a professor? In an attempt to look a bit more distinguished, she forced her girlish ringlets out of her face and wore her most professional looking, plum purple robes.

True to his word, Albus arrived at noon precisely. He did not bother knocking this time, but let himself in. "Ready to go Ceridwen?" he asked cheerfully, levitating a few of her trunks out onto her front lawn.

"As I'll ever be," she breathed out anxiously, turning to face her new boss. He smiled at her kindly and rested a soft hand on her shoulder. "No need to be anxious yet. There will only be four of us on school grounds for another week or so,"

"I know," she muttered, ringing her hands restlessly. Dumbledore just continued to smile reassuringly, leading her out into her front lawn and taking her hand before apparating to Hogwarts.

After the all too familiar feeling of her body being forced through a small rubber tube, she felt her feet land firmly on the ground once more. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She had heard from Dumbledore that Hogwarts' grounds were breath-taking but had never really considered that he wasn't exaggerating.

The vast stretches of grassy fields, brilliant blue lake and a perimeter of dark, old looking forest were enough to already make her happy that she had accepted the job offer. She could have been content to just stand there all day and take in her new, beautiful surroundings if Dumbledore had not begun to lead her towards the castle.

They entered the entrance hall and were greeted by the two other professors Dumbledore had mentioned before they had left Wales. One was a stern looking, older woman who was appraising her behind a pair of spectacles very similar to Dumbledore's. The other was a man was not quite as old as the woman or Dumbledore, but was certainly older than Carrie. He looked rather put out that he was there in the first place, glancing at her with measured dislike.

"Ceridwen, I would like to introduce you to Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, our Transfiguration Professor. And this is Severus Snape, our brilliant potions master. Severus, Minerva, this is Ceridwen Wynand; she will be taking over Muggle Studies while Charity is preoccupied with her field study."

"Carrie," she corrected instinctively, smiling enthusiastically at her new colleagues. "It's nice to meet you,"

Professor McGonagall returned the smile generously, returning the sentiment. Not very surprisingly however, Sour Grape Snape did not.

"Severus, would you be kind enough to show Ceridwen to her rooms?" Dumbledore asked. "Minerva and I have other tasks to attend to,"

Severus gave a stiff nod, glancing at Carrie expectantly. "This way," he said tersely, turning sharply and leading her down a corridor.

Unable to take the uncomfortable silence, Carrie attempted to strike up conversation."So Severus," She began animatedly. Unfortunately Snape did not allow her to continue.

"I'd prefer it if you referred to me as Professor Snape" he corrected coldly, still not looking back toward her as he walked briskly down the winding corridors.

"Well that seems quite unnecessary," she commented, refusing to be deterred. "It's not like I'm a student…"

"No, but it appears that you are young enough to be," he replied bitingly. This hurt Carrie maybe more than Snape had intended (or maybe not). It had been her number one fear that she would not be taken seriously because of her age.

"I assure you, Severus, I'm more than qualified," she assured him, in a cheerful voice, making sure that it did not betray an inkling of her distress. "In fact I'm more than looking forward to begin teaching. I've always loved children and…"

"I assure you, Professor Wynand, that your naiveté will be short lived. The sooner you realize that our students are, more often than not, dim-witted brats, the better off you'll be," Carrie was beginning to become quite frustrated with her unfriendly colleague. The constant interrupting and references to her age were wearing away at her patience.

"Well you're just a ball of sunshine, aren't you?" she retorted as he stopped in front of a relatively large oak door.

"This is your class room. The door in the back to the left is your office and the door behind that will lead you to your bedroom. The house elves will have already brought up your things" he said quickly, with a small glare her direction as he turned to walk off.

He skulked down the corridors angrily, unbelievably frustrated by the little chit Dumbledore had thought it wise to add to the staff. He stopped only once he had arrived at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. "Licorice Whip" he said waiting for the staircase to reveal itself and proceeding to walk up.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore said serenely, glancing at him from behind his desk as Snape entered his office. "I expected I would be getting a visit from you,"

"What in Merlin's name possessed you to hire that insufferable girl?" Severus spat angrily.

"If you're referring to Ceridwen, I assure you she is more than qualified for her new position," Dumbledore assured him, though seemingly unsurprised that Severus had such an objection to the newest addition to the staff.

"How, in any way, could that silly _little girl_ be considered qualified?" Snape asked, completely exasperated with the Headmaster. Wondering, maybe, if Dumbledore's old mind had finally gone the way of senility.

"Well for one thing, she is an expert on the muggle lifestyle with invaluable personal experience. Also, in the time that I've known her, she has proved herself to be quite brilliant. And surely her students will have no trouble connecting with such an engaging young woman," A mischievous twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eye. "She's quite pretty, isn't she Severus?"

"That is completely irrelevant," Snape hissed.

"Well, regardless of your personal feelings towards Professor Wynand," Dumbledore began, recovering his full authoritative stature behind his desk. "I can assure you that she will be the least of our problems this year,"

**A/N: Ugh, I always hate writing the first chapter; it just never comes out very well. This is ok but I promise things will get better in chapters to come. So please review: What do you think of Ceridwen (you don't know her very well yet, but you will)? Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me hear them! Thank you for reading and I'll update very soon!**


	2. Obsession

**A/N: I am **_**so **_**sorry it has taken me so long to post this chapter! It won't happen again! I'm making this chapter a little extra long to make up for my dilly-dallying. In my defense, I actually **_**did**_** try to post this about a week and a half ago, but the website decided to be a total dick. But never-the-less, heres a chapter a bit longer than usual as an apology present.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! You guys make me smile and all the feedback is super helpful. Here's the second chapter, I hope you enjoy.**

The next two weeks for Carrie were jam-packed with preparation for the school year and for this she was exceptionally grateful. She enjoyed most of her colleagues (most of whom she met as they arrived over the weeks) but she dreaded the unavoidable run-ins with the decidedly unpleasant potions master. They were always tense, usually consisting of little more than a glare from him and a terse nod from her. Her busy schedule allowed her to keep those uncomfortable meetings to a minimum.

The day before the students arrived, Carrie had met all of the other professors accept for one, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. This came as quite a disappointment. Carrie had been the most excited to meet her, hoping to bond over their mutual novelty to the school. But, much to her dismay, when she asked Dumbledore when the other new professor would be arriving, he informed her that she was not planning on arriving until just before the Start of Term Feast.

This struck Carrie as extraordinarily odd. As a new professor, she had needed every moment of the past two weeks to sufficiently prepare. She couldn't help but wonder how this Professor Umbridge could expect to be prepared without actually spending any time preparing.

Finally, September 1st arrived and students, as well as professors, were filing into the Great Hall. She couldn't help but feel anxiety seep into her stomach, making her slightly nauseous.

Carrie seized this opportunity to distract herself and get a glimpse of the woman she had been so eager to meet. She was shocked to find that this other new professor (who looked remarkably like a toad) was decked out, from head to toe, in bows, frills, and lace, all pink. As Carrie had done her best to look as mature, and aged as possible, this woman had seemed to strive for the exact opposite.

After the students had all been sorted and seated, Dumbledore approached his podium to address the student body. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," He boomed jovially, taking in the sea of children with his twinkling blue eyes.

"I would like to start this year by introducing two new additions to our staff. Professor Wynand will be taking over our Muggle Studies classes for Professor Burbitch, who has decided to spend some time living amongst muggles," He paused, leading a round of polite applause, which Carrie accepted with the most charming and confident smile she could muster.

"And, last but not least, Professor Umbridge has graciously agreed to fill our vacant Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Good luck, Professors," He led yet another polite round of applause. Carrie may have just been allowing her ego to get the better of her, but she could have sworn Dumbledore's introduction was a great deal warmer towards her than towards Umbridge.

"Now, a few more matters…"

"_Hem Hem_," A simpering, cough-like sound interrupted Dumbledore's jovial, booming voice. All heads in the Great Hall, spun, stunned, toward the source of the interruption. Umbridge, in all her pink, frilly glory, was beginning to stand and walk towards Dumbledore's podium.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of introduction," She said in a high-pitched, syrupy sweet voice. Carrie was confused. Were new professors supposed to address the student body this way? A quick survey of the shocked and offended faces that filled the hall answered that question quickly. No, no they were not.

Umbridge's unwelcome interruption seemed to go on and on. She continually sited her direct connection to the Minister of Magic himself and that things at Hogwarts needed to be changed drastically. Carrie was hit with a new wave of confusion. Hogwarts was supposed to be one of the best magical learning institutions in Europe and many considered the reign of Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster a veritable Golden Age for the school. Why would the Ministry consider this level of intervention necessary?

At this realization, Ceridwen's confusion melted into annoyance. This toad of a woman's speech was going on far too long and it was becoming increasingly obvious that she was sticking her nose where it did not belong.

Once her lengthy speech drew to a close, Dumbledore led another, though measurably more awkward, applause and the rest of the Feast was hurried through uncomfortably. Carrie was just as eager to escape the Hall as everyone else seemed to be, and rushed back to her quarters.

Carrie did not sleep well that night. She would lay down in her bed numerous times, only to bolt up and walk into her classroom, arranging and rearranging her desks and looking over the lesson plans. It wasn't until well past 3 A.M. that she finally fell asleep. Unfortunately, as a result of her restless night, she slept right through breakfast.

Sitting herself in front of the mirror, Carrie appraised her appearance. She had managed to brush her mass of unruly curls out of her face and into a chignon that was on the messier side but still quite attractive. Her hazel eyes showed no sign of her lack of sleep or her anxiety, sparkling as they usually did. She looked to the clock on her nightstand and took a deep, cleansing breath. Her students would be arriving any minute.

She walked out of her personal quarters and into her classroom, sitting herself behind her desk and with a wave of her wand, inscribed her name on the chalkboard in her own loopy script. Soon after, her first class began to file in, a mix of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, years 6 and 7.

She waited for them all to find their seats before standing up and gracing them with the most charming smile she could manage. "Good Morning," she greeted kindly. "I'm Professor Wynand, and welcome to Muggle Studies,"

The day ended much more quickly than Carrie could have anticipated. Her students were, for the most part, an absolute joy (especially the Weasley Twins) and made her classes incredibly enjoyable. They responded well to her interactive lesson plans and showed amazing potential. And Dumbledore, as always, had been right. Her students seemed to connect with her more easily due to their closeness in age.

She began to make her way down to the Great Hall for dinner, eager to report her successful day to any colleague who would listen as well as pile her plate high with the delicacies she had first experienced the previous evening.

"Argh! Get off me you nutter!" Carrie heard someone shout from down the corridor. She turned around, deciding her dinner could wait. She was in a position of authority now, and was obligated to get to the bottom of student-scuffles.

She soon found the source of the exclamation. A red-headed boy was wrestling on the stone-floor with a skinny, dark haired boy and had him in a rather impressive choke-hold.

"Hey! What do you think you two are doing?" she asked sharply, separating the two with a swipe of her wand. Both boys panted, glaring at each other fiercely.

"This _dunderhead_," the redhead hissed. "believes the dribble Umbridge is spouting. I'll have a go at anyone who calls Harry Potter a liar,"

For a moment, Carrie forgot all about punishing the two. "Professor Umbridge has been calling Harry Potter a liar?" She was confused. The redhead simply nodded. "I can only assume you're referring to what Harry Potter says about You-Know-Who's return," He nodded again.

Carrie sighed and glanced at the color of the students' ties. "20 points from Gryffindor House… each," Both students started to whine in protest but she silenced them with a stern glare. "If I catch you two fighting again, it will be more," She assured them before sending them on their way.

Carrie watched them walk away, making sure they wouldn't start their wrestling match over after she turned her back. Once they were both out of sight, she started to make her way to Umbridge's office. "Come in," came a sickly-sweet, though slightly irritated voice.

Carrie entered, feeling slightly nauseated by the mass of pink and kittens that covered her quarter's walls. She saw Harry Potter, the very boy she had come to discuss, sitting in front of Umbridge's desk (which was covered in yet more pictures of kittens as well as a portrait of the Minister of Magic). "Ah, Professor Wynand, such a pleasure," Umbridge greeted, although the edge in her voice informed Carrie that her interruption had been anything but a pleasure."But as you may notice, I am overseeing a detention at the moment. Perhaps if you were to come back later…" A detention? Carrie looked to the skinny, dark-haired boy curiously. He looked as furious as the redheaded boy had been.

"Well it will only take a moment… I was hoping I could speak with you in private," Carrie hinted kindly, hoping to sort out what exactly had happened in her class that day. Apparently, it had been quite the point of controversy.

"In private? Whatever for?" Umbridge asked with a simpering giggle. "Anything you have to say to me can surely be said in front of a student,"

"Really Dolores… I think this would be something best discussed in private," But Umbridge refused again. "That's quite unnecessary Miss Wynand. Now what can I help you with?"

Carrie cast a glance towards Harry, who was now at full attention, eager to see what she was so eager to speak with Umbridge about in private.

"Well I came across two students… arguing over something that was said in your classroom today and I thought that I should get to the bottom of it," She said, determined to breach this sensitive topic as politely as possible.

"Well what was it?" Umbridge snapped, her sickeningly sweet façade fading quickly. Carrie pressed her lips together tightly, suppressing the equally snappy retort building in her throat.

"Well… apparently something was said in regards to…" she paused to consider the best way to put this. "last year's tragedy,"

"Oh that? Don't worry Professor Wynand, Potter is being punished for his lies. I assure you that he won't be doing it again," Umbridge said all too cheerfully.

"Lies?" Carrie asked, completely baffled.

"Yes, lies Professor Wynand. Mr. Potter, here, caused quite a scene this afternoon in my classroom insisting that You-Know-Who has returned. But everything is taken care of," Carrie was floored.

"You're actually _punishing_ Harry for saying this?" Carrie couldn't believe it. Not only was this woman spreading even more doubt about the truth of Harry's story, but she was actually punishing him for defending himself. Her anger was rising and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay calm.

"Of course I am," Umbridge said, the edge back in her voice. "Liars must be punished,"

Carrie couldn't believe what she was hearing. With one final glare in the toad's direction she turned sharply and exited the room, storming her way toward Dumbledore's office, only stopping when she was standing in front of the Gargoyles who guarded its entrance.

"Gumdrop," she hissed, anger practically seeping from her pores as she swept up the winding staircase, barging into his office, not seeming to care she had interrupted a meeting between him and Professor Snape.

"Ah, Ceridwen, I hear your first day went splendidly," Dumbledore said cheerfully, apparently not irked in the slightest that he had been interrupted. The same could not be said for Snape.

"Headmaster, you have to kick that _vile _woman off of school grounds!" she raved. Severus hated to admit it, but anger suited the young professor's face. He enjoyed watching her hazel eyes flash dangerously; he found it quite attractive.

"Congratulations Wynand. It seems someone's finally wiped that insufferable smile from your face," he commented snidely to mask his sudden attraction. Carrie responded with a surprisingly ferocious glare.

"To whom are you referring, Ceridwyn?" Dumbledore inquired calmly, hoping to diffuse a bit of the tension in the room.

"Umbridge! That miserable little toad! Do you know she's spewing the same bile the Prophet is? Claiming you and Potter are liars to her entire class!"She raged, pacing frantically, her curls freeing themselves from her chignon and whipping around her face.

"Carrie please… have a seat and we'll discuss," Dumbledore began, but he could not get her to stop long enough to finish his sentence.

"Can you believe it? Spreading that hateful propaganda… and of course the students are so impressionable! Some are bound to believe something like that when it comes from an authority figure! And punishing poor Harry for defending himself…!"

"Miss Wynand, please!" Dumbledore insisted, finally succeeding in quieting her for a moment. "I'm afraid that there isn't much I can do about Professor Umbridge. She is here under Ministry mandate," He explained, much to Carrie's dismay.

"But there must be _something_ you can do!" Carrie insisted, not wanting to believe that she would have to deal with the toad for an entire year… or possibly longer.

"I'm afraid there isn't," Dumbledore said sympathetically. "I will have a talk with her about the subject matter she discusses in her classroom but I'm afraid that is all I can do,"

Carrie stood there for a moment, looking as if she were going to say something else or continue her rampage. But instead, she just muttered a hasty apology for the interruption and left the office, leaving Snape and Dumbledore to their meeting.

Dumbledore sighed, pushing his half-moon spectacles up his nose. "I must admit Severus, I think I've gotten more than I bargained for with Dolores Umbridge," He sighed wistfully.

"Indeed… now why have you called me here Albus?" Severus urged, eager to get to the point of this meeting so he could return to his quarters and finish the potion he had started brewing just this morning.

"Oh yes… Well Severus, since the unfortunate event concerning Mr. Potter this summer on Privet Drive, it's come to my attention that Voldemort has made himself quite busy recruiting dementors. When the opportunity arises, I would like for you to make your way to Azkaban prison and try to win some back for the Order," Dumbledore requested casually, as if he were asking him to go fetch a bottle of mead from the Leaky Cauldron.

"You can't be serious," Severus scoffed. "Azkaban is filled to the brim with Death Eaters who are still under the impression I work for the Dark Lord. Don't you think it might blow my cover if one of them were to see me running this little errand for you?"

"Then you shall have to be very careful that none of them see you," Dumbledore said curtly, standing from his desk and making his way to the door. "I think I'll head to the Great Hall now… I think the house elves are serving a Treacle Tart for dessert,"

Snape sighed and followed the old man out of his office, his thoughts drifting back to Professor Wynand. He had been vaguely aware that she was pretty before but now that he had seen her seething with anger, he couldn't help but admit to himself that she was one of the more attractive women he had ever seen.

"Coming to the Great Hall too Severus?" Dumbledore asked, yanking him out of his thoughts.

"No sir… I think I'll just head back to the dungeons," Snape replied. He would rather be experimenting with his potion that eating in a noisy hall filled with his students any day.

"Suit yourself," Albus said, a knowing twinkle lighting up his eye as they went their separate ways.

As Severus descended the stone stairs into the cold dungeons, he promised himself that he would put no more energy into thinking about Ceridwen Wynand.

Unfortunately, this proved to be quite impossible over the next few weeks. Not only was he more painfully aware of her every time she passed by him or sat close to him during meals, but his students insisted upon chattering about her constantly. They would rave to each other about her most recent innovative lesson plan or enjoyable assignment over their bubbling cauldrons. This mindless chatter would irk Severus to no end and he soon found himself taking a day off to run Dumbledore's errand just to escape it.

He hastily procured a substitute before leaving Hogwarts grounds and apparating to a stormy, stone covered beach. An old, rickety row boat being watched over by a pale, shivering man was waiting for him. Severus offered the man a sickle to take him across to the island the prison which he accepted, shuddering in dread of the task.

As the rickety boat made its way closer to the prison, a cold feeling of dread slowly flooded Snape's stomach, reaching its zenith when he reached the prison's front gate. He was allowed in by the dementors guarding it and he began walking up the steep stone steps.

After climbing a few stories, Snape heard someone calling for him. "Severus! Severus!" He looked down the corridor he was passing and saw Fenrir Greyback, yellow teeth bared in what he must have considered a welcoming grin. Feeling he had little choice but to oblige, he walked over coolly.

"Ah Greyback," he sneered. "Enjoying your cell?"

Fenrir sneered back. "Well we're all much more comfortable now that the dementors have been running off on the Dark Lord's errands. They even bring us back the Daily Prophet from time to time," he said conversationally, gesturing toward a stack of newspapers he had in the back corner of his cell.

"Are they all away now?" Severus asked, noticing a lack of hopelessness in the air.

"Sure are. All except the one at the front gate. We figure he ain't too bright… they always leave him behind," Severus just nodded, inwardly groaning at the fact that he had come all this way for nothing.

"So that new professor at that school of yours… She looks like quite the scrumptious little morsel," Greyback leered, licking his lips.

Snape was disgusted, though he couldn't show it. Fenrir had always preferred the taste of female flesh to male. "Why, Fenrir, you shock me. I didn't consider Umbridge to be remotely your type," Snape joked coldly, hoping to mask his concern.

"Not the toad," Greyback snarled, repelled at the thought. "The young one…," He scurried back to his pile of newspapers, shuffling through them and pulling out a clipped out article. "Her," he said, pointing to a picture of Professor Wynand. She was smiling and waving up at Severus, completely unaware of the twisted soul who was clutching her in his hands. "Ceridwen Wynand…"

"I think your taste is a bit off," Snape chided, pretending to look at the picture of the poor girl nonchalantly. "I personally find her to be insufferable. Well… have fun fantasizing in your cell Fenrir," Snape made a move to leave but Greyback clutched his cloak in his dirty, clawed fist.

"I won't be in here much longer Severus," he said in an unnecessarily hushed snarl, probably for dramatic effect. "Soon, we'll be free and I'm not going to waste any time finding this pretty little colleague of yours,"

Severus shook his hand off, looking at him with disgust. "You're getting my robes filthy, you mongrel," He hissed. He swept out of the corridor and down the steps back to the old man who seemed all too eager to row him back to shore and quickly apparated back to Hogwarts.

He walked hastily down the corridors, barking at the few straggling students to hurry back to their dorms as he went. He needed to get to Dumbledore right away. He needed to tell him about the dementors, about Fenrir's comment about a possible escape, and, most importantly, his developing obsession for Professor Wynand.

Soon he rounded a corner, only to be met with the sight of the last person he wanted to see at the moment. Ceridwen was kneeling next to a sobbing first year girl, dabbing some sort of salve on the back of her hand and muttering soothing things to her. "Shh… it's alright. See, I've stopped the bleeding,"

Snape felt frozen in his place. This side of her, this softer, maternal side, was as attractive to him as the fiery side he had seen weeks ago. The sobbing girl noticed him before Carrie did, and quickly scurried away, eager to escape the presence of her dreaded Potions professor.

Ceridwen, who, Snape continually reminded himself, was much too young for him, turned her hazel eyes to him and sighed. Snape found that he couldn't return the eye contact.

"That awful woman," she growled. "Well… I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, Severus," She muttered before getting up from her kneeling position and making her way back to her quarters. Snape couldn't bring himself to respond. All he saw when he looked at her now, were the hungry eyes of Fenrir Greyback.

**A/N: Well, there you go! Not all of my chapters will be this long but I felt like I needed to make it up to you for taking so darn long posting this! It won't happen again. Don't forget to review! Your feedback is much appreciated :)**


	3. Volunteer

**A/N: Just as I promised, a quick update to make up for my unforgivable dilly-dallying =] Thank you to everyone who reviewed, keep them coming! Reviews are what make the world go 'round.**

Snape swept into Dumbledore's office unannounced. He thought nothing of it; the old man had been expecting him.

"Good Evening, Severus," Dumbledore greeted him mildly, stirring some milk into his evening cup of tea. "Everything went well?"

"Hardly," Snape sneered, pulling up his usual seat close to Dumbledore's desk. "There's no hope for the dementors. It seems they leave their posts to do the Dark Lord's bidding quite often… even bringing back copies of the prophet for the Death Eaters to keep them entertained," Dumbledore only nodded solemnly. Severus couldn't shake the feeling that he had been expecting this.

"And did anyone see you?" He inquired, taking a leisurely sip from his buttercup-colored teacup.

"No one important, only Greyback. However," he paused, determined to keep his disgust and anger in check. "The article announcing Professors Wynand and Umbridge… with their pictures. Greyback saw it. He told me that he was planning on coming after Wynand once he was out. Once he was out… It would be in our best interest, as well as Professor Wynand's, to prepare for a dementors-assisted mass breakout," Dumbledore took all of this news in stride, simply nodding solemnly, seemingly lost in thought.

"I think…" he begins after a few minutes of intense consideration. "It would be best to keep this between us, Severus,"

"You mean to tell me that you have no intention of telling Wynand of her predicament?" Severus was shocked, although he knew he shouldn't have been. It was Dumbledore's way to keep vital information from those who were close to him.

Dumbledore nodded in response. "Trust me Severus. It would do no good to frighten the poor girl. With any luck, the Order will be able to deal with Greyback before he comes within miles of her," Severus was unconvinced, but couldn't think of an argument. All he knew was the idea of Greyback stalking Ceridwen with her completely unaware left him nauseous.

"Try not to fret about this too much, Severus," Dumbledore said in a light-hearted manner completely unbefitting of the situation. "There's a Quidditch game tomorrow: between Slytherin and Gryffindor. That should cheer you up," The idea that something as trivial as a Quidditch game (whether it concerned his house or not) could distract him from the imminent disaster.

The next day, a sunny, seasonably cool Saturday, Severus made his way to the already packed Quidditch Pitch as Dumbledore suggested. He quickly deeply regretted his decision to show up later than usual. The teacher's box was completely full and the only seat available was the one next to Ceridwen Wynand.

She looked up and noticed him, glaring at the seat next to her. She did not let his sour expression deter her. She waved eagerly, a bright smile on her face, welcoming him happily into the seat next to hers.

"Ready to have your ass handed to you?" she grinned impishly up at him. Severus, once again, had a problem meeting her eye. How could he when he knew Greyback would give anything to tear that pretty little face to shreds?

"I highly doubt it. The only actual player worth noticing on the Gryffindor team is Potter," He could see through the corner of his eye that she was still grinning up at him, as if it was an absolute thrill for him to be near her; like he was the most enjoyable company imaginable. Even more disturbing, were these emotions felt 100% sincere to him. If this is how she was with her students as well, he no longer wondered why they were so infatuated with her.

"I've never heard you say anything remotely complimentary about Harry before," She beamed. "I don't really understand why you don't like him. It's really just you and Umbridge who seem to have a thing against the poor boy,"

Severus snorted inwardly. _Poor boy, indeed._ "Yes, Umbridge and I are so alike," he replied with biting sarcasm, keeping his eyes on the gathering Slytherin Quidditch team on the south side of the field. "All I'm missing is the hideous pink bow, really," This made her laugh; a lovely, genuine sound that made him look her in the eye for the first time since his visit to Azkaban. Her eyes really were a lovely shade of hazel. This little exchange, as light-hearted as it got for Severus these days, was all they needed. They were now able to sit together and watch the game without feeling awkward in each other's presence. Severus never would have admitted it out loud, but being next to Ceridwen almost made watching Slytherin being beaten enjoyable.

Ceridwen would cheer loudly every time Gryffindor scored, even leaning over the protective barrier of the teacher's box to give one of the Weasley twins a high five after he had sent a bludger toward the Slytherin seeker that narrowly misses his head. She was much too enthusiastic… and for the wrong team no less! But Snape had to admit, that it had been thoroughly enjoyable. Even if Slytherin had lost.

That night, after dinner, Snape returned to his classroom and set up a cauldron. He had been experimenting with a more affective Verituserum and had been looking forward to continuing all day. He enjoyed being alone in dungeon, which was always comfortably cool (for him, at least) and silent. It was a place where he could think in peace, without the background noise of the incessant chatter of students. Much to his annoyance, a knock soon interrupted his solitude.

He stood up swiftly and threw the door open, ready to lay into whoever had dared disturb him this late. He stopped himself, however, when he saw that it was Ceridwen at the door. He couldn't bring himself to yell at her; his guilt simply wouldn't allow it.

"Hello Severus," she greeted, her arms overflowing with rolls of parchment. "I was wondering if I could grade papers with you, tonight," She didn't wait for an answer, brushing past him and setting her work down on one of the desks facing his.

"Actually, Ceridwen," he began to protest.

"Carrie," She corrected. After laying out the rolls of parchment neatly, she turned to face him, smiling kindly.

"Carrie," he revised, determined to have her leave. Not only was he sure that she would be expecting for him to make small talk (something Severus hated beyond reason) but that the longer he was in her presence, the more he seemed to like her. The more he seemed to like her, the more he couldn't stand keeping his encounter in Azkaban to himself. "I really prefer to do my brewing alone. It requires all my concentration and absolute silence,"

Carrie did not seem deterred. She sat down at the desk, taking out a quill and unrolling her first piece of parchment. "Don't worry, Severus. I promise to be absolutely silent," Snape began to protest once again, but Carrie had already begun to work. Not able to think of any other ways to convince her to leave, he sighed dejectedly and went back to his cauldron.

Much to his surprise, Carrie kept her word. The only noises she made were the scratching of her quill and the calming beat of her soft breath. Even more surprising, Severus actually enjoyed her presence. He found it calming. Carrie must have as well, because this became their routine. Every evening, after dinner in the Great Hall, Carrie would return to her classroom and retrieve papers that needed grading and sit herself in the potions room and they would work next to each other enveloped in a comfortable silence.

Every once in a while, Snape would even strike up a conversation, and it was never forced small talk. He found himself genuinely interested in how her classes were going and her ongoing feud with Professor Umbridge. They soon moved on to her childhood, and her years living as a muggle. She once attempted to ask him about his past but she soon sensed that it was a topic he did not wish to discuss, and she never asked again, something Severus was immeasurably thankful for. As were most things that were sources of happiness for Severus, something soon occurred to cut it short.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Prophet early that late-November morning sent chills up Severus' spine. "_**Mass Break-Out at Azkaban Prison**_" Below the ugly, black print were the faces of all ten escapees, but Severus couldn't help but focus in on one. About half way down the page was a picture of a particularly hungry looking Fenrir Greyback.

"Headmaster," Snape hissed under his breath, making sure that he only the old man could hear him. Dumbledore only nodded knowingly, deep in thought. "We can't keep it from her any longer," Severus whispered forcefully, glaring into the old man's eyes intensely. "We _have no choice_ but to tell her now,"

"We will tell her Severus, when the opportunity presents itself," Dumbledore stated calmly, spreading some clotted cream on a scone. Severus thought he might explode from frustration.

"The opportunity has presented itself _now_, Dumbledore!" but Dumbledore simply shook his head. He would hear no more on the subject.

That night, maybe around 2 AM, Severus and Carrie were grading papers together in his classroom, as usual. Carrie had said that they were bonding over their insomnia but Severus did not answer. He wasn't in a joking mood. Now that Fenrir had escaped, the urge to tell her, to protect her, was stronger than ever. Carrie noticed earlier on that Severus was in a sour mood, so she didn't press for conversation. The silence between them that night wasn't their usual comfortable one, but wrought with tension and anxiety. The tension was interrupted by McGonagall, rushing into the classroom in as close to a panic as Carrie had ever seen her.

"Severus, come quick!" she panted. "Arthur Weasley was attacked on his watch, tonight," Severus was up and following McGonagall out of the dungeons in a flash. All Carrie could think to do was follow.

They rushed up to Dumbledore's office, where they found a very pale Ron and a slightly trembling Harry. The scene triggered Carrie's maternal instincts. She walked up to Harry, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"And Harry… were you above, looking down at the scene… or standing next to it?" Dumbledore asked calmly, but studying Harry's face very intensely.

"Neither… Professor I was…" Harry didn't seem capable of forming a full sentence, looking up at Carrie imploringly.

"Headmaster…" Carrie began softly. "It seems that Harry has had a rough night… maybe we could send him to Madame Pomfrey for a sleeping drought and let him get some rest," After she had made this suggestion, she felt Harry's shoulder relax a bit underneath her comforting hand.

"Yes… well…" Dumbledore said reluctantly, pushing his half-moon spectacles up his crooked nose. "Minerva, see the Weasley children off to St. Mungo's, will you?" The headmistress nodded, walking out of the office to retrieve Ron's siblings, most of whom would still be asleep. "Harry, I believe you are familiar with the way to the Hospital Wing?" Dumbledore said lightheartedly, although his blue eyes were missing their usual mischievous sparkle. After Harry had left the room, Dumbledore's smile (which had obviously been for show) melted from his face. He turned towards Severus, his aged face now etched with worry.

"Severus, nothing was taken," he stated, to which Snape relaxed noticeably.

"Taken?" Carrie asked. "Was Mr. Weasley guarding something?"

Severus and Dumbledore seemed to have forgotten she was there in their relief. Dumbledore was the first to recover from his surprise, and began to explain."Ceridwen, in the Department of Mysteries is a place called the Hall of Prophecies. In that hall is the key to either Voldemort's success or defeat. Needless to say, this is something he wants more than anything and something we have to stop at nothing to protect,"

Carrie nodded. "Well you'll be needing a new guard. I could take over for Arthur once a week," she offered.

"Absolutely _not_," Snape bellowed, causing Carrie to jump a little in shock. "You saw what happened to Weasley! What could happen to you…" Snape's usually pallid complexion lost the little color his face contained. "It's so much worse…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, clearly beyond confused. True, she could be hurt like Arthur was. She wasn't stupid, she understood the risk involved when she volunteered. But worse?

"Ceridwen," Dumbledore said cautiously. "I'm sure you're aware of the mass break-out of Azkaban," Once she nodded in affirmation he continued. "One of the escapees seems to have developed… an infatuation with you,"

"An infatuation?" She was confused. How would an inmate in Azkaban even know who she was?

Dumbledore just nodded. "Fenrir Greyback," Now, it was Carrie's turn to lose all of her color. She no longer cared how he knew who she was, she was too terrified. She had heard enough stories of Greyback to know that his fixations often ended in the object of his "affections" being bitten, or worse, raped and then eaten. Soon, though, her intense fear melted into anger. Severus had known… and so had Headmaster Dumbledore.

"How long were you planning on waiting before telling me this?" she asked, her hazel eyes flashing dangerously.

"Not the time, Carrie!" Severus hissed. "You can't go! Greyback will be waiting and he will stop at nothing until he…"

"I can take care of myself!"She shouted back. "I'll have my wand,"

Severus continued to object but Carrie wouldn't hear it, she was too angry. She continued to press Dumbledore, stopping just short of begging to allow her to do this. She and Severus may be friendly now, but she knew how he saw her. She would always be young and inexperienced until she proved otherwise. This was her chance to do just that.

** A/N: Well there you go :) I know that I'm re-sequencing some scenes in the book, but I have my reasons :) Please review! I need feedback, I live for it! **


	4. Department of Mysteries

**A/N: Again, so sorry about the delay. I swear, things at school are a lot less busy now so I'll be able to update more often. Also, reviews really speed up the writing process :) I love the encouragement. Please keep the reviews flowing!**

Carrie was storming back to her corridors and Snape struggled to catch up to her, losing his normal, perfectly composed façade, huffing and puffing with effort. "Carrie! Carrie wait!" He shouted after her. She didn't wait though, in fact she sped up but Snape caught up to her anyway. "Ceridwen, you have to reconsider!" She only shook her head.

"No. And nothing you can say can change my mind," she hissed. She was furious that Snape had kept this from her. She knew he had known; she could tell from the guilty look in his eye.

"Please Carrie," he whispered, grabbing her wrist to prevent her from running away from him at a pace he could no longer mimic. "You don't know how… _depraved _he is," his lip curling into a disgusted grimace. "He'll stop at nothing to get you. And when he does," he had to stop there, like he couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

Carrie's anger seemed to melt away when she saw Severus' concern for her. How could she be angry with someone who was so concerned with her well-being. It was touching really. She wheeled around, meeting his obsidian eyes with her own, warm hazel ones. "I'm a big girl Severus. I am more than capable of defending myself," she assured him. When she noticed that this did not calm the anxiety in Snape's eyes, she rested her soft hand on his cold, sallow cheek. "Thank you though… for being so worried," This small gesture of affection seemed to stun Severus into total stillness. They may have been forming a friendship, but physical contact had never been made. He never would allow himself to even hope for it. She smiled up at him kindly, removing her hand from his cheek and turned away, walking at a normal pace toward her quarters. This time, Severus didn't follow.

The next morning, Ceridwen took her usual seat next to Severus at the teacher's table for breakfast. Much to her relief, he seemed to have to decided to wait a while before trying to dissuade her from taking up Arthur's watch again. The comfortable silence was broken as a Daily Prophet plummeted unceremoniously onto Ceridwen's plate, splattering a bit of egg on her robes. She glared up at the clumsy bird that had ruined her breakfast as she untied the twin holding the pages together. Her anger at the bird quickly diminished when she saw what had made front page news this morning.

"_**Ministry Seeks Education Reform: Dolores Umbridge Made First High-Inquisitor of Hogwarts"**_

Carrie slammed her silverware onto the table loudly, causing more than a few strange looks from staff and students alike. Paying them no mind, she stormed straight out of the Great Hall and headed straight for Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore, ever prepared, didn't show the slightest sign of shock as she burst into his office. She slammed the paper onto his desk and glared at the old man. "Tell me this a joke," she hissed, knowing that she was misdirecting her anger but too frustrated to care. 

"I'm afraid I can't do that Miss Wynand. Dolores Umbridge has been made our supervisor," He said, a little too calmly for Carrie's liking. Her glare only intensified.

"Then _do something_," she pushed, her anger only growing at the thought of her performance reviews being carried out by the toad.

"There's nothing to be done, Carrie," Dumbledore said, more firmly this time. "But I must ask you to keep your head and not make a fool of yourself. You have to trust me when I say, everything is under control,"

Carrie knew she had to trust Dumbledore. She knew that she would be a fool not to do so, but it was so hard to believe that Dumbledore had everything under control when things were going straight to hell. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she just nodded stiffly and swept out of Dumbledore's office. She had bigger things to worry about tonight than Dolores Umbridge. Tonight was the night she was going into the Department of Mysteries.

That night, Severus returned with Carrie to her quarters after dinner to help her prepare for her first watch. "This is foolish, Ceridwen," He hissed angrily, fastening her cloak for her. Carrie simply sighed, having long abandoned the idea of convincing Severus that she had made the right decision. They walked down the corridors in an uncomfortable silence until they reached the heavy oak doors of Hogwarts' entrance hall. The two of them froze at the sight of them, knowing that this is where they had to separate.

"You will be careful, won't you?" Severus said evenly, keeping his face impassive but not without great effort. Carrie's answer was to launch herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, locking him into a tight hug. Severus found the embrace exceedingly awkward but that didn't deter Carrie from holding on as tight as she could, trying to convey all she felt in those brief moments. She wouldn't let Snape dissuade her from taking Arthur's place, but she wasn't a fool, she knew the risk she was taking. She finally let go, smiling awkwardly up at him before turning and walking out the door and apparating to the Ministry.

Hours passed in the Department of Mysteries and Carrie was sitting in the middle of a row of prophecies, levitating a scrap of parchment she had found in her pocket for entertainment. The idea of this job being dangerous seemed laughable at that point.. Every now and again she would get off the cold stone floor and wander aimlessly around the infinite rows of glass prophecies before sitting back down in another spot, levitating that same bit of parchment. Once Carrie's pocket watch had clicked its way to 2:00 AM, she was nearly going mad from boredom. That is until she heard a door somewhere in the large room open and shut with a menacing squeak. She heard someone sniff the air and then heavy footsteps that sounded like they were getting closer. Carrie quickly, and as silently as she could, made her way to a stone pillar, pressing her back against it, hoping to remain hidden from whoever had entered. After a few moments, Carrie gathered up enough courage to peek around the curve of the pillar to see who the intruder was. She had to cover her mouth to stop the gasp from escaping her lips when she saw the twisted, animalistic features of Fenrir Greyback.

"I can smell you, little girl," he cooed, slowly weaving through the rows of prophecies, coming closer and closer to her hiding place. "Come out and play Angel. I have all sorts of fun games to show you," He was now so close that Carrie could smell the blood on his breath. He had eaten recently.

The thought of Fenrir sitting down to a meal of human flesh angered her enough to hop out from her hiding place. She lifted her wand and attempted to stun him but he had been prepared for her. He easily deflected her hasty stunning charm and sent both her and her wand flying with one cry of "Expelliarmus!" Carrie landed on her back, her head bouncing painfully on the stone floor and her wand just out of reach. She tried to inch her way over to it, but Fenrir kept her in place by holding her down firmly with his foot. She heard a rib or two crack under the pressure of his boot. The sound of her ribs cracking under his foot and the scream of agony she couldn't suppress excited Greyback. He straddled her hips, taking a broken shard of glass lying on the floor and using it to slice open her shirt, cutting open her skin as well. Fenrir growled in pleasure at the sight and smell of blood seeping out of the fresh wound. He bent down and licked up the length of the cut he had just made, savoring the taste of her blood.

Carrie had to force the disgust and blinding pain to the back of her mind. Her wand, she had to get to her wand. While he was distracted by the taste of her, Carrie lifted her knee and drove it as hard as she could between his legs. He let out a howl of pain as he crumpled to the ground and she scrambled to her wand, grabbing it and stunning Greyback before he could even get himself off the ground.

Carrie panted, once again aware of the immense pain radiating from her ribcage. All she wanted to do was sit and call someone to her, to help her but she knew that wasn't an option. Grabbing a hold of Greyback's collar, she apparated them into the center hall of the Ministry and left him there, hoping that he would be found and locked back up. She then apparated herself back to the outskirts of Hogwarts grounds and began to make her way back to the castle. Each step she took was excruciating, but she was so close, she couldn't' stop now. Once the castle was in sight, black spots began to invade her vision, making her head spin and her stomach turn.

Someone was calling her name. Was it Greyback? Had he followed her? It was unlikely, she knew, but not something she couldn't afford to rule out. Then she felt something damp, she looked down to see that the dew on the grass was soaking through her cloak and onto her skin. When exactly had she fallen to her knees? There it was again, someone was calling her name. She looked around her to see a cloudy dark figure hurrying towards her. She was relieved when Snape's concerned face came into focus. It was only then that she let herself pass out.

For a spilt-second all Severus could do was look at her. Carrie was absolutely mangled. Her lovely dark curls were soaked with blood with what he could only assume was a head wound and her shirt had been ripped open and her stomach had been smeared with dried blood, which was flooding anew from a gash down her abdomen. He snapped himself out of his horror and scooped her up and ran her back to his quarters. He laid her on his bed carefully before summoning Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey. Both arrive at the same time, still wearing their night clothes. Both froze in the doorway, fixated on the mangled girl covered in dry blood lying on Severus' bed.

"Don't just stand there!" Severus raged, furious at their lack of action. "Help her!" His outburst was affective enough to snap Poppy from her trance and she rushed over to the girl to check her vital signs. As she was busy attending to the wounded professor, Snape and Dumbledore exchanged meaningful looks. They both knew exactly what had happened.

"We have to get her to the Hospital Wing, Albus," Poppy said frantically but Dumbledore stopped her.

"She won't be moved, Poppy. You'll have to administer your treatment here," He said calmly. Poppy tried to protest, but Dumbledore's words were final. He didn't want anyone else in the castle, Umbridge especially, to know what had happened to Professor Wynand.

Snape didn't' leave her side once as Poppy worked her magic, unable to take his eyes away from her face now smeared with congealed blood. It wasn't until that moment that he realized that what he had been feeling for Ceridwen Wynand was much more than friendship.

**A/N: SOOOO? What did you think? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! They make me work harder and faster :) Hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Performance Review

**A/N: Let me know how you like it so far! Thanks for reading, and enjoy.**

It was hours before Carrie awoke and when she finally did, Severus found himself unbelievably relieved. Madame Pomfrey had assured him that thanks to her treatment, she would have no problem waking up in spite of her concussion but Severus was not at ease until he saw her hazel eyes flutter open. His first instinct was to bombard her with question about what had happened in the Department, but he suppressed the urge; he didn't need to ask, he already knew. No sense in upsetting her over an unnecessary question.

"Hello Severus," Carrie said faintly, the potions pumping through her system making her a little groggy.

Severus didn't know how to respond. With all the emotions that were swirling inside of him, he didn't know which to act on. There was relief, of course, elation, frustration, blinding anger. Fearing that any one of these emotions would overflow, he just sat there, staring down at her with his thin lips pressed firmly together.

Carrie didn't mind the lack of response, or maybe she didn't notice it in her half-conscious state. She simply sighed happily and moved her aching body closer to the hand Severus had rested next to her. She grasped it tightly and nuzzled into it, memorizing the feel and the smell of his skin. "I should have listened, Sev," she murmered.

Once again, Severus couldn't bring himself to answer, but this time it was from shock rather than fear of outburst. Carrie was hot-headed and stubborn so admitting that she was wrong was the last thing he would expect from her, fully cogent or not. Well, maybe it wasn't the absolute _last _thing he expected. The last thing he expected would be for Carrie, a by all means very desirable woman, yearning to be as close to him as she was. It was this lack of restraint and, surely, common sense, that convinced Severus that though Carrie was now awake, she was far from being completely lucid. Severus didn't move his hand, letting her grasp it like a child does a stuffed animal in her sleep until she once again came to her senses, never to grasp him like this again.

The next morning, Severus gave her a few doses of assorted pain killing potions before helping her get down some chicken broth. Dumbledore had been insistent that Carrie teach her classes that day as if nothing had happened, almost causing Snape to burst from anger at the very suggestion. Even Madame Pomfrey had to protest against teaching with recently mended ribs and concussion, but Dumbledore wouldn't hear of it and Carrie agreed, constantly eager to please. Severus would only allow for this to occur if he could sit in on her classes, to continue administering pain relief potions and monitor her progress. Dumbledore didn't seem thrilled with this arrangement but agreed nonetheless, knowing he would not convince Severus to do things any other way. Feeling a small sense of triumph, Severus took the now fragile professor and escorted her to her classroom, agreeing to help set up for that days lessons.

"Potatoes?" He asked in disbelief, as he distributed the starchy vegetable on each desk per Carrie's instructions.

Carrie nodded excitedly, pleased as punch with her own innovation. "We're going to make batteries out of them!" she said excitedly. This, of course, meant nothing to Severus. He had no idea what a battery was or how one would go about making a potato into one, but he did as she asked regardless.

As the students began to file in, Severus began to regret his decision to stay with Carrie throughout the day. Most all of her students, who had been so thrilled to be entering the classroom before seeing him lurking ominously in the corner, and he didn't enjoy watching their little faces changing from excitement to dread in his presence. Carrie quickly came to his rescue, ushering her students in with a bright smile and cheerful directions, showing absolutely no trace of the trauma her body had suffered so recently.

Severus found sitting in on one of Carrie's classes equal parts entertaining and informative. She had her students insert a mess of wires and a couple of metal scraps into the potato. They then hooked up to another muggle contraption, a light bulb, causing it to light up brilliantly, causing a chorus of "ooh"s and "aah"s from her students. Severus had to admit; even he was impressed of the genius of it all. A power source from a vegetable. Everything went very smoothly until towards the end of every class, Severus would begin to notice her wincing when she moved a certain way or cringe at an exceptionally loud noise. He made sure to slip her small doses of potion discreetly which Carrie was beyond grateful for. This system worked very well until her last class of the day.

Along with her final class, a group of seventh years, another more unwelcome figure, completely decked out in pink and bows filed in. Now Dumbledore's insistence that Carrie teach that day despite her injuries made much more sense to Severus. As Hogwarts' new High Inquisitor, it was now Dolores Umbridge's duty to observe all the professors and report on their competence. Today must be Carrie's day.

"Professor Snape," said Umbridge, a look of shock plastered on her face.

"Hello Professor Umbridge," Snape replied coolly, much better at hiding his shock than the toad was.

"Are you in here often?" She asked, clipboard already in hand, ready to scribble down condemning observations. Severus could only assume that she was insinuating towards a somehow inappropriate closeness or relationship between the two of them. It was all he could do to not scoff at her obvious eagerness to revile Carrie for things she was not yet sure were even true.

"I am not," he assured her, keeping his face unreadable. "But I've heard so much from my students about her class, I thought I would come and observe," Umbridge looked skeptical but said nothing.

By this time Carrie had also noticed Umbridge's presence, and did not do as well as Severus had at hiding her shock. "Professor Umbridge," she faltered, looking to Severus for an explanation. "What a pleas-… What a surprise,"

"Oh pay no attention to me, Dear," Umbridge simpered in her high pitched, syrupy voice. "I'm just here to observe," This bit of news threw Carrie for a loop, but she recovered quickly and turned her attention back to her class of eager seventh years, Fred and George Weasley among them.

"Alright class, as you all should remember, we've been discussing how Muggles use electricity to make their day to day lives simpler, like we use magic. They use it for light, entertainment, cooking, pretty much anything really. Now today, I want to show you how it works. Using this potato and the muggles' knowledge of electricity, we will be able to create light," Some of the students began to look at each other and down at the potatoes on their desk doubtfully.

"Now, what I want you to do, is to take the two metal strips. One is copper and the other is aluminum. I want you to stick these metal strips into the potato," She instructed. Once again, the students looked hesitant but did as they were told. "The way electricity is made is by transforming chemical energy into electric energy. The metal in those two strips are, as we speak, reacting with the acids in the potato, increasing the flow of electrons. Now…" It was at this point that Umbridge chose to interrupt.

"Hem Hem!" The sound of her compulsive throat clearing sent a visual shiver down Carrie's spine, forcing Severus' lips together in order to suppress a laugh. "I'm so sorry to interrupt dear," Umbridge said with a little giggle that proved that most certainly was not sorry in the slightest. "But electrons?" She looked even more skeptical than her students had been, all of whom were now turning to glare at the invader. Severus noted that Fred and George Weasley's glares were among the most fierce. Carrie, however, was able to keep her composure.

"Yes. Electrons are negatively charged particles in an atom that.." she began to explain but Umbridge interrupted yet again with a condescending laugh.

"It's all gibberish! Really Professor Wynand, I just don't understand why these bright young minds need to be stuffed with this nonsense," Carrie's face flushed a bright red, that all too attractive fire back in her eyes.

"It's not nonsense," Carrie insisted, her voice becoming tight and constrained with frustration. "Understanding things like electrons have allowed muggles to be as advanced as they are!"

Umbridge did not enjoy being challenged, and returned with equal ferocity. "I'm sorry to contradict you Miss Wynand, but there is _nothing_ advanced about muggles,"

"I do not permit bigotry in this classroom!" Carrie shouted, grasping her desk so hard her knuckles turned white. After a few deep breaths, she looked up at her calmly. "I think I'll have to ask you to leave now, Professor," She said, still tense but much more in control.

For a moment, Umbridge just stood there, completely stunned. She had already conducted numerous observations, and in most of them had made unwelcome remarks and comments. But in none of them had she been asked to leave the classroom. She flushed a putrid pink, matching the color of her robes exactly, scribbling furiously on her clipboard as she stormed out of the room and muttering unflattering sentiments. "You'll be hearing from me shortly!" she said with great importance and finality before finally slamming the door to the classroom shut.

She turned back around to address her students. Some, like Fred and George Weasley, were grinning up at her with approval, maybe wishing that it had been them who had finally told the insufferable woman to, essentially, go fuck herself. But other students, the more perceptive ones, only looked at their favorite professor with concern. No one liked Umbridge, but she had the power now. There was no possible way Carrie would be able to keep her job.

**A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter is shorter than usual guys! Next one will be longer, pinky promise. I hope everyone enjoyed, please review and let me know either way. :)**


	6. Christmas

**A/N: I made this one a little longer to make up for my mini-chapter last time! I hope you enjoy! **

Months passed and Christmas was drawing nearer and Carrie had not yet received any word that she would be losing her job, much to her surprise and the surprise of all those around her. Severus still insisted that she not remain too comfortable; it was his belief that the only reason she hadn't been sacked yet was from lack of willing applicants to take her place. Finding a replacement, full time professor so late in the term must have been harder than Umbridge had anticipated.

Not everything was such good news for Severus however. With Christmas fast approaching, Dumbledore had noticed that Carrie had no plans for the holidays and had been quick to invite her to spend Christmas at Grimauld Place with the Order. She wasn't yet a member, but it didn't take a genius to notice that Dumbledore was set on recruiting her.

"I really don't think you should go," Severus said, maybe the hundredth time that day. They were sitting in their usual places in Carrie's classroom, grading papers together as they always did.

"Don't be silly Sev, I want to go," she insisted, rolling her eyes. These constant objections were beginning to become a little obnoxious. "I don't want to be alone on Christmas!"

"You don't have to be alone," he pushed, getting up from his seat and sitting next to her. "We could spend Christmas just the two of us," he offered, his face etched with determination.

Carrie's fingers tingled at the idea, but she pushed the feeling into the back of her mind. It was an offer made out of desperation, nothing else. "Why are you so concerned? I'll be with the Order. It's not like I'll be in any danger,"

"You'll be in plenty of danger with Black around," he snarled viciously, his eyes ablaze with the thought of his school-year nemesis.

Carrie cocked her head to the side, her brows furrowed in sweet confusion. "Albus told me that Black was innocent,"

Severus' brow twitched as he nodded. "I cannot deny that Black is innocent of all murders he has been charged with, but there's no doubt in my mind he belongs in Azkaban regardless. He is, and always has been, a pig. Completely self centered and a philanderer the likes of which I've yet to see equaled," he paused, focusing his intense onyx eyes on Carrie's soft hazel ones. "He'll pursue you like a piece of meat," he hissed, only hoping he could convey what a despicable person Black really was to Carrie, who was hard-pressed to find something she didn't like about anyone (Umbridge aside).

Much to Severus' annoyance, rather than grasping the severity of her predicament, Carrie only grinned impishly back into his scowl. "What's wrong, Sevvy? Jealous?" she teased, scrunching her nose mockingly.

"Don't call me _Sevvy_," he said fiercly, grabbing her hand. "This is serious, Ceridwen. You don't know what he's like," The frustration and ferocity in his eyes wiped the grin from Carrie's face.

"Sev, you really need to have more confidence in me," she said, now also completely serious. "I've never let a guy smooth talk his way into my bed before and I don't plan on starting now," she assured him, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze. Severus just nodded, slightly comforted but still concerned. As much he hated to admit it to himself, Black was an incredibly attractive man. Even after thirteen years in Azkaban, his face still had a well sculpted handsomeness to it and his swagger had certainly not faded. Even if Black did not manage to get Ceridwen into his bed, maybe just being around him would be enough for her to realize how truly unattractive and overall unappealing he really was in comparison.

"Will you be there?" she asked, unaware of the concerns swirling in of the Potions Master's mind. She knew that he was an active member of the Order of the Phoenix but also knew that he wasn't overly fond of anyone who would also be in attendance.

"I wasn't planning on it," he admitted. "You don't need me there Ceridwen," She was so good with people. Severus was sure that she would immediately charm all of her freshly made acquaintances. And of course the Weasley twins would be there and it was common knowledge at this point that they considered Professor Wynand more of a friend than an authority figure.

Carrie simply shrugged, slipping her soft hands from his and returned to grading her papers. "But I would like it if you were," Severus sighed in defeat. He had to go now. How could he say no to her?

The night before Christmas Eve, the night before Severus and Carrie would leave for Grimauld Place, Severus couldn't sleep. He had avoided social get-togethers with the Order for obvious reasons. He got along with no one there and now he had allowed Carrie to coerce him into going. He even felt a small amount of resentment towards her. Of course a charming little beauty queen like her wouldn't understand what it was like for him in a social situation. The anger toward her was short lived though. He had agreed to go not because of any heavy duty convincing on Carrie's part. He had decided to go because he wanted to spend the Holidays with her, no matter what other imbeciles would be in attendance.

He made his way to Carrie's quarters at 9:45 AM the next morning, the time they had both agreed on. This Christmas party was to be an all day affair, much to Severus' horror. Again, he had to remind himself that it was for Carrie in order to work through it. When Severus let himself into Carrie's room, her arms were over flowing with brilliantly wrapped packages, one or two toppling over and onto the floor every couple of steps.

"Are you bringing all of those?" Severus asked, lifting an eyebrow skeptically.

Carrie smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm bringing some of these to the Owelry before we leave," she said with a small laugh, glaring as a small blue package tumbled to the floor. After sending off the excess packages, Carrie had a small, very manageable pile of 5 small packages. Still, this made Severus feel exceptionally unprepared. He only had one package, quite small, stuffed in his pocket. And it was certainly plainly wrapped, especially compared to the bright, metallic boxes in Carrie's arms.

"Shall we?" she beamed excitedly, the cold December wind having already made the apples of her cheeks and tip of her nose an attractive rosy pink. Severus nodded, a sense of dread swirling deep in the pit of his stomach as they apparated to Grimauld Place.

The moment Severus and Carrie stepped foot inside the dingy hallway (hideously decorated with holly and banners just for the holiday), they were bombarded by identical balls of energy with bright ginger tops. "Professor!" they cheered, grabbing her by the arm and ripping her away from Severus (who they paid no mind) with Carrie laughing all the way. Already, without Carrie by his side, Severus felt alone and unbearably awkward.

"Mum, this is Professor Wynand," said the twin to Carrie's left, practically shoving her into the kitchen where a plump, very maternal looking woman was scurrying around the tiny room, sprinkling spices into numerous pots and checking on things baking in the oven. No one noticed as Severus followed up behind them.

"Oh, hello Dear," she said enthusiastically, wiping her hands on her apron before clasping her in a tight hug. "I can't tell you what a thrill it is to finally have my boys enjoying a class for a change. You must be a very special woman," Carrie just blushed and shrugged, insisting that they were wonderful boys and absolute joy to have in her class. Severus couldn't help but scoff at the statement but no one seemed to hear him.

"Well you must be the new professor Fred and George wouldn't shut up about," came a deep, distinctly masculine voice from the small, rickety kitchen table. "I see they weren't exaggerating when they told me how lovely you are," Severus felt his heart drop slightly; this had been the precise moment he had been dreading the most. The moment when Carrie would realize how attractive Black was… and Black would realize how completely flawless Carrie was.

Carrie graced Black with a stunning, full blast smile (something he most certainly did not deserve) and stepped forward, stretching out her hand to him. "Ceridwen Wynand,"

He took her hand and shook it gently. "Sirius Black. Mass murderer and Azkaban escapee," he said with what he must have thought was a winning grin. Severus had to hold back an eye roll from the absolute lack of tact the joke possessed but Carrie laughed appreciatively, much to his dismay. It was worse than he thought, she found the swine _charming_.

"And these," Mrs. Weasley said cheerfully, gesturing to the small family standing in the doorway leading to the sitting room. "Are the Karpiak's. This is Anna," she said, laying a hand on a petite, thin woman with long dark hair and equally dark eyes. "And this is Barnaby," she said, gesturing to who must be her husband. "And this lovely little thing is their daughter, Maxine," she said, gesturing behind Anna to a tiny figure with her face buried into the back of her mother's legs. Carrie may not have noticed her at all if she hadn't been pointed out.

Anna and Barnaby (or Barney as he preferred to be called) were a lovely couple. A little quiet and somber for Carrie's taste, but very polite and kind. After a few moments of "Nice to meet you"s and "The pleasure is all mine"s Maxine was still hidden behind her mother's legs and Severus noticed a look come over Carrie that he hadn't seen before. She seemed to have an inexplicable glow about her and there was a small, soft smile on her face. She kneeled down in front of the hiding child so that she was at her eye level.

"Hello Maxine," she said in a soft, very maternal voice and Severus' heart gave a little jump. His mother had never used that kind of voice on him as a child, but it was definitely a voice he would have enjoyed to hear from time to time. Severus had never seen Carrie with small children before, but it was quickly becoming clear that she was just as adept at charming them as she was at any of her students.

At the address from an unknown adult, the child buried her face even deeper into her mother's robes. Carrie paused for a moment, considering the slightly trembling child before her eyes drifted over to the kitchen counter, completely cluttered with bits of discarded elements of the Christmas feast. She reached up and grabbed an egg that had already been cracked in half and placed it over her nose, like a makeshift clown nose. "Maxine," she said, a little more enthusiastic and over-the-top than before. "Can you help me? I think there's something wrong with my nose!"

Maxine peeked out from behind her mother's leg to see Carrie's supposed ailment. When she saw the sheer absurdity of an adult silly enough to place something like an egg shell on her nose, her small face burst into a huge grin. And that was all it took for the two to break the ice. For the rest of the day little Maxine, or Max as Carrie began to call her, was her second shadow.

Severus was relieved that for most of the day, Carrie remained close to him. But by extension, that also meant that he was forced to socialize with the two-year-old. He was awkward around the child and everything the child said just seemed to be gibberish and babbling to him, though Carrie seemed to have no trouble interpreting the child's infantile jabber. Still, Severus was more than willing to awkwardly navigate a conversation with a toddler if it meant keeping Carrie close.

Every once in a while, however, Black would usurp her. Once he even grabbed her hand and yanked her from her seat and twirled her around the room, dancing with her to the Celestina Warbeck song crooning over the radio. This didn't seem to bother Carrie, who was laughing and dancing happily with her new friend. Severus began to fume. It would have been one thing to have Black flirting and lusting after her, but to have her being chummy with him was almost more than he could bear. The rest of the day dragged on agonizingly for Severus. Nothing was worse than watching the man he hated most in the world getting friendly with the one woman he's cared about in ages.

The Weasley twins and Harry were thrilled of course. In some way or another, they had all formed a relationship with Carrie and they made no secret of the fact that they preferred seeing her with Black than with their Potions professor.

"Winnie, I think we should open presents now," Sirius cheered. Severus thought that maybe he was developing a nervous twitch. Black seemed to think that he was now close enough to Ceridwen to fashion his own personal pet name for her.

"I think you're right," Carrie said happily, pulling the brightly wrapped packages from her bag. For the twins, she had gotten a series of muggle prank books which they immediately began to pore over, murmuring over the ingenuity of muggle-made devices whose sole purpose was to have a laugh at a victim's expense. For Mrs. Weasley, a cookbook that the twins had suggested. For Mr. Weasley she had obtained a muggle digital camera which he instantly began to take apart and fiddle with. Severus' present, which Carrie had saved for last, was a slender package, easily fitting in palm of her hand. Severus couldn't keep a small smile from his face as she approached him with it, she had wrapped in a metallic green paper with a silver bow.

"I want to give you mine first," he insisted lowly, taking the slim, plainly wrapped package from the pocket of his robes. Carrie looked genuinely surprised.

"Sev, you didn't need to get me anything," she said, looking at the small package tentatively.

"Don't be daft. You got something for me; why wouldn't I get something for you?" He grumbled, pushing the package into her arms. Carrie smiled thankfully up at him and slowly unwrapped it, lifting the lid off of the small rectangular box revealing a long, delicate gold chain with a brilliant garnet pendant nestled in a pillow of velvet.

"Oh Sev…" Carrie whispered, running a finger along the fragile links in the chain. "I can't accept this,"

"You can," he insisted, lifting it out of the box gently. "Turn around. I'll put it on," She did as she was told, putting her back to Severus and lifting her curls so he could clasp the chain around her neck. She turned back around with a small smile on her face. "How do I look?" she asked. Severus took a moment to look her over. The garnet pendant rested just above her cleavage exposed by the dress she had decided to wear that day. "Beautiful," he breathed before he could stop himself, causing Ceridwen's face to turn numerous shades of red.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she exclaimed, grabbing the brightly wrapped package and handing it over to Severus. "I hope you like it,"

He unwrapped it carefully to reveal a small, but sturdy potions knife. It had a silver blade with his initials already engraved into it and a sturdy looking handle. It was of high quality and must have cost a fortune. All he could do was stare at it, stunned.

"If you don't like it, I could take it back…" she faltered, mistaking his stunned silence for displeasure.

"No. It's perfect. Exquisite, really," he assured her, running a long finger across the perfectly sharpened blade. "Thank you," Carrie just smiled back shyly in return.

"It's getting late," Carrie observed, more to the rest of the attendants of the party than to Severus. "We should probably get going,"

"No!" whined little Maxine, who had only a moment ago been half asleep in her mother's lap. She hopped up and ran over to her knew friend, clinging to her legs. "No Winnie," she repeated, having picked up Black's pet name for her. Carrie knelt down to the child and gave her a tight squeeze. "I'll see you soon Max. I promise,"

"You had better," chuckled Black, also approaching her for a hug which she all too happily supplied. Severus pulled her from the embrace quickly, not able to stomach their closeness.

"We should be going," he hissed, sending a glare Black's way. Much to his annoyance, Black only answered with a smug little grin. "We should apparate before the snow storm gets too bad," Carrie looked out the slightly grimy window and, true enough, snow was pouring down into a near white out. "Wouldn't want to get splinched,"

After saying their good-bye's, Severus and Carrie performed side-by-side apparition to her cottage where it was snowing even harder than it had been at Grimauld place. They both rush indoors to escape the storm, sighing in relief as the door was forced shut and the warmth of Ceridwen's home enveloped them.

"You can't apparate in this weather," Carrie stated bluntly, shedding her cloak, once again revealing the green dress that suited her figure so well. "You'll have to wait it out, I'm afraid. Can I get you some tea?" she offered.

Severus shook his head. "I can make the tea. You should change out of that dress," he instructed, and Carrie couldn't argue. Her flimsy cloak had not done much to protect her from the elements. Her dress was now soaking wet with melted snow.

"Alright… do you at least need help finding anything at least?" she asked, clearly uncomfortable with someone waiting on her in her own home. Severus shook her head sternly.

"No, now go get changed," He insisted once more before making his way into her kitchen and gathering a tea pot and some water. She came out moments later in a much more comfortable, though no less sexy outfit. Her shorts just barely came over her rounded bum and her t-shirt clung to her just as nicely. "How's the tea coming?" she asked conversationally walking up next to him in front of the stove. She elevated herself onto her tippy toes, leaning over to see what was in the pot before recoiling and hissing in pain. "Ah!"

Severus dropped what he was doing, leading her over to a chair. "Are you burnt?" he asked intensely, scanning her body for a wound before his eyes landed on an angry, fresh welt on her inner-thigh.

"I'm such an idiot," she said shakily as Severus got on his knees to examine the injury closer.

"I have some salve in my robes. Don't move," he commanded as he got up and quickly retrieved the vile. Much to his relief, she had heeded his instructions and hadn't moved. He was worried that too much movement would irritate the burn even further. He got back in between her legs and unstoppered the salve before turning his full attention to the burn.

"Ceridwen…" he said a little awkwardly. "I'm going to need you to… open your legs a little farther," Carrie felt just as embarrassed as he was but did as she was told. "This will sting a little," He warned before pouring a small bit of the potion onto his hand and gently applying it to the burn, causing Carrie to cringe in discomfort, though Severus kept her leg firmly in place with his free hand.

Severus smoothed the light green substance over the wound, occasionally brushing his long fingers across the soft and very sensitive skin of her inner thigh, eliciting a gasp from Carrie's mouth. It didn't' take long for these innocent, medically minded applications to become adventurous massages up and down the thigh. And when Carrie offered no objection to his bold actions, he took the initiative, still running his fingers across her thigh, he stretched upward and pressed his lips firmly onto hers.

**A/N: And there you have it! Things will go much quicker from here on out and I'm really excited for the plot to really begin to thicken! Let me just tell you guys: You are simply not prepared! Please review and let me know what you think :)**


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